2026 SAFF Club Championship
Association football tournament in South Asia
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2026 SAFF Club Championship is the proposed edition of the SAFF Club Championship, an international men's club football championship of South Asian countries organised by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). It was stalled for over a decade due to lack of sponsors.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | N/A |
| Dates | TBA[1][2] |
| Teams | 8 (from 7 associations) |
Format
Initially, a centralized venue was planned for the tournament. Eventually, a home-and-away format was finalized as the AIFF expressed reservations over allotting two weeks during the regular Indian football calendar. It was planned to be held in 2024, but postponed to 2026.[9][10]
In June 2026, General Secretary of the SAFF Purushottam Kattel stated that the tournament was unlikely to take place in the year and likely to be postponed till 2028.[11]
Association team allocation
A total of 8 teams from 7 SAFF member associations are set to participate in the 2026 SAFF Club Championship. The association ranking based on the AFC member association coefficient rankings is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association. This will include two teams from India and one team from Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.[12][13]
| Participation for 2026 SAFF Club Championship | |
|---|---|
| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
Teams
The following teams will participate in the tournament:[14]
| Team | Qualifying method |
|---|---|
 Mohun Bagan SG |
2025–26 Indian Super League runners-up |
| Mumbai City |
2025–26 Indian Super League third place |
 Bashundhara Kings |
2025–26 Bangladesh Premier League champions |
 Renown |
2025 Sri Lanka Premier League champions |
 Paro |
2025 Bhutan Premier League champions |
 TBD |
|
 Maziya |
2025–26 Dhivehi Premier League champions |
 TBD |
Bracket
Quarter-finals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Semi-finals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Final
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|